MARINE POLLUTION CONTINGENCY PLAN · The definition of marine and coastal environment in the Solent Environment Group’s context includes public health, the natural environment,

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SOLENT ENVIRONMENT GROUP

MARINE POLLUTION CONTINGENCY PLAN

Version 6

Plan reviewed: May 2012

Photographs Compton Bay, Isle of Wight Alum Bay, Isle of Wight Cargo ship near the Isle of Wight

SOLENT ENVIRONMENT GROUP MARINE POLLUTION CONTINGENCY PLAN ________________________________________________________________________

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CONTENTS 1.0 INTRODUCTION 4 2.0 PURPOSE, SCOPE AND KEY TASKS OF THE ENVIRONMENT GROUP

(EG) 4 3.0 AREA OF OPERATION 6 4.0 ESTABLISHING THE SOLENT ENVIRONMENT GROUP 7 5.0 THE SOLENT ENVIRONMENT GROUP AND THE RELATIONSHIP

WITH THE SHORELINE RESPONSE CENTRE (SRC) 8 6.0 CATEGORISATION OF THE INCIDENT 9 7.0 NOTIFICATION MATRIX 10 8.0 LOCATION OF CENTRES FOR THE ENVIRONMENT GROUP 10 9.0 MEMBERS OF THE ENVIRONMENT GROUP 11 10.0 ROLES AND RESPONSIBILITIES OF THE ENVIRONMENT GROUP 14 11.0 KEY SOLENT ENVIRONMENT GROUP PERSONNEL AND THEIR

ROLES IN GENERAL 15 12.0 STRUCTURE OF THE SOLENT ENVIRONMENT GROUP 18 13.0 KEY TASKS OF THE SOLENT ENVIRONMENT GROUP 19 14.0 PROCEDURES WITH OTHER AGENCIES 21 15.0 EXERCISES 21 16.0 PLAN REVISION 22 17.0 COMMUNICATIONS 22 18.0 MEDIA 25


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ANNEXES Annex 1 List of Emergency Plans covering the Solent Area Annex 2 Environmental Risks Annex 3 Natural Conservation Designations Annex 4 Marine Pollution Annex 5 Record Keeping Annex 6 Environmental Sensitivities Annex 7 Data and Information Annex 8 Impact Assessment Annex 9 Contact Directory Annex 10 Incident Form/Check List Annex 11 Reporting Pollution – Format of CG77 POLREP Annex 12 Solent Environment Group – Generic first meeting agenda

for maritime pollution incidents Annex 13 Solent Environment Group – Checklist of essential

information to be obtained during initial alert for maritime pollution incidents

Annex 14 Media Holding Statement - deleted Annex 15 Media Statement - deleted Annex 16 Health and Safety Regulations which are likely to apply to

major clean-up operations.


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1.0 INTRODUCTION The Solent Environment Group (SEG) plan is intended to complement the Marine and Coastguards National Contingency Plan and STOp Notice 2/2009. The measures are intended to satisfy the UK obligations under the UN Convention Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) to protect and preserve the marine environment. The plan details the Solent Environment Groups contingency arrangements for responding to actual or threatened oil pollution incidents within the Solent area. This stretch of coastline covers all incidents in, or likely to affect areas from, Christchurch Harbour in Dorset to Selsey in West Sussex. The area includes the whole of the coastline of the Isle of Wight. The response strategy for these areas has been developed taking into account the possible sources of spillage associated with port operations including movements around the Solent, all shipping and any facility with the potential to cause major oil pollution. The Solent represents some of the busiest shipping lanes and ports in the country. The Vessel Traffic System (VTS) Southampton regulates the Solent on behalf of the Queen Harbour Master (QHM) Portsmouth. The QHM Portsmouth retains control of Portsmouth Harbour directly. The scope of the Solent Environment Group activities will be directly proportional to the scale and nature of the incident, its geographical location, extent, severity, pollutant involved, potential hazard to human health and environmental sensitivities. The scale of the incident and response and their constituent phases are likely to evolve over time and the functions of the Solent Environment Group will need to be graduated to meet changing requirements, escalating or diminishing in the input to each phase over time. The definition of marine and coastal environment in the Solent Environment Group’s context includes public health, the natural environment, water quality, wildlife including fish, cultural, landscape, coastal and marine habitats and socio-economic factors linked to human health, e.g. through food chains. 2.0 PURPOSE, SCOPE AND KEY TASKS OF THE ENVIRONMENT GROUP

(EG) MCA STOp Notice 2/2009 specifies the purpose, scope and key tasks of the EG, as below. PURPOSE The purpose of the EG is:


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• To provide public health and environmental advice and guidance to all response units involved in response to an oil and or chemical marine pollution incident and subsequent clean up operations.

• To advise response units so as to minimise the impact of the incident on the environment in the widest sense, taking account of risks to public health and the natural environmental, and potential impacts arising from any response operations, whether salvage or clean up operations, at sea and on the shoreline.

• To monitor, assess and document the public health and environmental (including wildlife) impact of a maritime pollution incident with respect to oil and/or chemicals and the impact of all measures implemented in response to the incident.

• To facilitate welfare, rehabilitation or humane disposal of wildlife casualties by recognised animal welfare organisations.

SCOPE The scope of EG functions includes:

• provision of public health and environmental advice to all cells set up to respond to a maritime incident, and may include:

o Secretary of State’s Representative (SOSREP) and the Salvage o Control Unit SCU) o Marine Response Centre (MRC) o Shoreline Response Centre (SRC) o Command and Control Centre for incident response in ports and

harbours. • liaison with and obtaining any relevant information the EG requires to fulfil

its functions from all response units established to deal with the pollution. • proactive management of information on all health and environmental

issues between the units. • seeking to minimise the impact of an oil and or chemical pollution incident

on human health. • seeking to minimise the impact of an oil and or chemical pollution incident

on the environment, by determining optimal environmental end points, beyond which the response will not provide environmental benefit, or may actually produce a disbenefit. This process is undertaken through ‘Net Environmental Benefit Analysis’.

• the prompt planning, implementation and management of data gathering to enable an integrated evaluation of acute and chronic health and environmental impacts of the pollution incident across the widest appropriate range of issues

• ensuring that proper consideration is given to all the health and safety requirements for personnel working for the EG.

KEY TASKS NB: The following tasks are not in order of priority or exhaustive, and not all may be necessary in individual incidents. Tasks and priorities will be incident specific.


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Provision of health advice

• Provide advice on potential and real impact on public health with respect to oil and chemicals.

• Advise on requirements for the monitoring of threat to public health. Provision of operational advice

• Assess environmental priorities at risk from pollutant and from clean-up activity.

• Establish EG priorities for resource protection and pollution clean-up. • Prepare an incident-specific EG view on at-sea and on-shore dispersant

and chemical treatment product use. • Provide advice and guidance on health and environmental sensitivities,

and risks, preferred options and health and environmental implications of proposed salvage and clean-up response strategies with respect to achieving a net environmental benefit.

• Ensure that the above advice is timely and accurately reflects the dynamics of health and environmental resources at risk.

• Ensure thorough and timely documentation of all advice provided to the response units. Where a response unit does not follow such advice, the reasons for not doing so should be recorded. Copies of all records of advice provided and feedback from response units should be circulated within the EG

• Facilitate effective communication on health and environmental matters between the response units and the EG via appointed Environmental Liaison Officers.

• Ensure that appropriate coordinated and timely arrangements for incident specific assessment of the effects on public health and environment are initiated and subsequently managed

• Monitor and keep under review public health and environmental implications of ongoing salvage and at-sea clean up operations.

Contribution to the SRC

• Ensure representation in the SRC Management Team via the appointed Environmental Liaison Officer.

• Monitor on-shore clean up operations, particularly in sensitive areas to ensure that clean-up operations match the strategy agreed in the SRC.

• Advise, contribute to and provide members for the SRC-controlled multidisciplinary Shoreline Clean-Up Assessment Teams [SCAT], as required

Health and safety

• Ensure the full implementation of health and safety measures for personnel working in the field on behalf of the EG [for example, through risk assessments, COSHH, Personal Protective Equipment, and health tracking].

3.0 AREA OF OPERATION


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The Solent Environment Group covers the coastline and marine environment for: • the land to the west of Christchurch Harbour in Dorset to • east of Selsey Bill in West Sussex. • the area includes the whole of the coastline of the Isle of Wight See area “9” below.

4.0 ESTABLISHING THE SOLENT STANDING ENVIRONMENT GROUP Stage 1: The Maritime and Coastguard Agency will be responsible during a major incident which has the potential to cause significant pollution of the sea and shoreline for establishing the Solent Standing Environment Group, via activating the chair of the Group. The core members of the Solent environment Group consist of representatives from Natural England (NE), Department of Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA), Environment Agency (EA), Marine and Coast Guard Agency (MCA), County and Unitary Maritime Authorities and Health Protection Unit for the relevant area The designated competent officers of the core membership of the Solent Environment Group will meet at: Hampshire County Council Emergency Centre, Emergency Planning Unit, The Castle, Winchester, Hampshire SO23 8UG. Tel. 01962 846841 or other designated sites as decided by the MCA in conjunction with other interested partners. (See Annex 11). Stage 2: The core members of the Solent Environment Group will nominate a chairperson as quickly as possible taking into account the nature of the incident which is likely to influence the choice of the chair. The chairperson and core members decide whether to expand the Group’s membership to include representatives of other organisations. The chair and core


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members also decide when it is necessary to convene the Solent Environment Group close to the scene of the incident. The chair ensures that the Group is co-located with the SRC, when established. Local and regional contingency plans need to identify suitable accommodation and support facilities for the Solent Environment Group. Standing down the Solent Environment Group The role of the Solent Environment Group will evolve over the period of any incident. The requirement for certain key Solent Environment Group functions and members will cease as the relevant response units complete their tasks and stand down. Provision of operational advice to a Shoreline Response Centre (SRC) is likely to extend far beyond provision of advice on acute health issues, salvage or at-sea response. Operational advice may continue to be required by a local authority shore clean-up control centre after an SRC stands down, and impact assessment is likely to be a protracted task. Redeployment of staff from acute operational response advisory roles to, inter alia, advising on long-term clean up response on difficult shores or impact assessment tasks may be appropriate and necessary. The decision to stand down will be taken by the Solent Environment Group. Whilst standing down the advisory function of the Solent Environment Group will be largely guided by the response units, the decision to stand down any impact assessment operations will be driven by scientific criteria. 5.0 THE SOLENT ENVIRONMENT GROUP AND THE RELATIONSHIP

WITH THE SHORELINE RESPONSE CENTRE (SRC) It is important to co-locate the Solent Environment Group and the SRC, where established. This enables the Solent Environment Group to provide timely, appropriate advice to the SRC. To facilitate effective liaison between the Solent Environment Group and all other teams within the SRC, the Solent Environment Group’s chairperson appoints an Environmental Liaison Officer (ELO) to sit on the SRC Management Team. The principal responsibilities of the Solent Environment Group in advising the SRC are: To evaluate the relative importance of nature conservation and other environmental features at risk during an incident. This includes their vulnerability to oil or hazardous substances and clean up; • To establish agreed priorities for protection and clean up; • To advise and assist the SEG controlled teams as required; • To advise on the suitability of pre-identified sites for the natural degradation of

oil;


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• To advise on whether proposed clean up techniques are likely to cause more damage than leaving the oil to degrade naturally. This may involve the preparation of an incident specific dispersant use protocol;

• To monitor clean up operations in sensitive areas to ensure that clean up operations match the strategy agreed in the SRC;

• To ensure the thorough documentation of all decisions and actions taken by, or on behalf of, the Solent Environment Group;

• To ensure the provision of appropriate advice for the health and of those acting in the field on behalf of the Solent Environment Group.

6.0 CATEGORISATION OF THE INCIDENT The identified likely spills should be categorised to assist with determining the correct level of response. The level of response will be dependent on a number of factors. These include the quantity and type of oil spilled, its location and proximity to available response resources. However, in reality oil spills do not fall into convenient categories and there will be grey areas of overlap between the class boundaries. Accurate quantification of oil spills is difficult. The internationally recognised oil spill classification system is as follows:

Tier One:

Small operational spills. A spill that can be dealt with immediately utilising local resources without assistance from other areas (usually less than 25 tonnes).

Tier Two:

Medium sized spills. A spill that requires outside assistance from other bodies (usually less than 250 tonnes).

Tier Three:

Major spills that require a rapid large scale response. Beyond the capability of local and regional resources. A spill that requires national assistance through implementation of the NCP (usually result from a loss of containment event >250 tonnes or ongoing).

Source: ABP - Humber clean © Environmental Constancy Services Ltd. All ports and harbours must be able to respond immediately and have the ability to cope with a tier one operational spill using its own resources.


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7.0 NOTIFICATION MATRIX Organisation Oil Spill Tier Organisation 1 2 3 Method Remarks HM Coastguard

Telephone Coastguard requires information on all oil spills from or into the marine environment. They in turn will contact MCA.

ABP / Vessel Traffic Services (VTS)

Emergency direct telephone line

Contact immediately in the event of a spill inside ABP’s Solent limits.

Local Authorities

Telephone, Fax

Contact the duty Solent Emergency Planning Officer if oil is likely to contaminate the shoreline.

Power Stations Telephone Contact the Shift Manager immediately if oil is likely to reach the power station seawater intakes.

Local Refineries Telephone Contact duty manager if oil is likely to impact facility. May offer assistance.

District Councils Health Protection Agency

Telephone Will be contacted through the MCA callout procedure Is further information required

Environment Agency

Telephone, Pager, Fax

EA requires information on all oil spills. Confirm the POLREP.

Natural England Telephone, Pager, Fax

Fax all spills. Contact if spill exceeds one tonne.

DEFRA / SOSREP

Telephone, Fax

Contact DEFRA to seek permission to use dispersants (except MCA). Secretary of States representative to be informed for major incidents.

8.0 LOCATION OF CENTRES FOR THE ENVIRONMENT GROUP Location Address Telephone HMCG Training Centre

Old Station Road Ventnor PO38 1DX

01983 853853

Ryde Fire Training Centre Nicholson Road Ryde PO33 1BE

01983 817028 (or) 01983 817029


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Hampshire CC Emergency Planning Centre Emergency Planning Office

Emergency Planning Unit, The Castle, Winchester, Hampshire SO23 8UG

Tel. 01962 846841 Tel. 01962 846846

Marine and Coastguard Agency

44a. Marine Parade West, Lee on Solent , P013 3LT

Tel 023 9255 2100 ( 24 hours) Fax 023 9255 1763

9.0 MEMBERS OF THE ENVIRONMENT GROUP See also Annex 9 – Contacts. This is a separate document. The purpose of this section is to identify the core members of the Solent Environment Group that will be involved during an oil spill marine pollution incident within the plan area. The core members of the Solent Environment Group are: Solent Environment Group Core Members: Environment Agency (EA) Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs (DEFRA) Natural England (NE) Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA) Health Protection Agency Emergency Planning Unit, Hampshire County Council Portsmouth and Southampton City Councils In addition, the Solent Environment Group may draw members from Sea Fisheries Committees, National Park Authorities with coastlines, and bodies listed below: Health Services - Directors of public Health from Primary Health Care NHS Trusts that may be affected Other Bodies - Depending on how the incident develops, the members may recommend that further environmental organisations become involved. Representatives from of Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs) eg The Royal Society for the Protection of Birds may also have relevant expertise to offer the Solent Environment Group. Solent Environment Group Core Members Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs (DEFRA) DEFRA is the UK Department of State primarily concerned with the food chain, including the viability and profitability of farming, food and drink, and fisheries industries. It is also concerned with the related issues of public and animal health, and a range of other issues, most notably the protection of the marine environment. DEFRA plays a role in the protection of the marine environment and


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in ensuring the safety of the aquatic food chain in England, including the safety of consumers of fish and shellfish. DEFRA test and approves any oil treatment products manufactured for use in UK waters on behalf of all UK fisheries departments. For England, DEFRA approves any use of dispersants in shallow and coastal waters and advises on use of dispersant in deeper water. DEFRA representation at the Solent Environment Group meeting close to the scene of the incident is most likely to be from CEFAS or the SFI. Environment Agency (EA) The EA has the responsibility for protecting the environment as a whole (air, land and water) within “controlled waters” (territorial waters within three nautical miles of the territorial sea baselines). The EA regulate: Discharges to controlled waters (they are the lead agency for land based

pollution sources); The disposal and management of waste; Some coastal and estuary flood defences; Salmonid and other migratory fisheries and in some cases, sea fisheries. The EA also manage, monitor, and control the water quality of all controlled waters. They have responsibilities for waste regulation and can provide advice on the following: Waste minimisation to reduce the amount requiring disposal; The location and form of temporary storage and treatment areas; The disposal options for wastes. Primary concern will be to locate the source of pollution and ensure the discharge is stopped as soon as possible. Following this the Agency shall establish the extent of pollution and severity of the incident and take appropriate remedial action, taking into account the views of other environmental bodies. The EA will also notify parties who may be effected by the pollution and will provide information to the public and media. The Agency has the responsibility of setting up incident and control arrangements and will act as the co-ordinators in commissioning resources both from itself and other organisations. In the case of major incidents, the MCA may be asked to assist with remedial operations and/ or supply of specialist equipment (subject to availability) on a repayment basis.


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Natural England (NE) Natural England, advises Government on nature conservation in England. It promotes, directly and through others, the conservation of England’s wildlife and natural features within the wider setting of the United Kingdom, and its international responsibilities. It selects, establishes and manages National Nature Reserves and identifies and notifies Sites of Special Scientific Interest. As part of the response to a marine pollution incident, Natural England through the Solent Environment Group, will: Provide advice on the environmental impacts of the spill to the MCA’s Counter Pollution Branch, local authorities (Shoreline Response Centre), etc; Co-ordinate the collation and provision of the best available information on wildlife interests and threats to them (including beached bird surveys, seabird colony and individual bird counts, collection of dead oiled birds, reporting of live casualties, and the collection of samples). Provide nature conservation advice and information to local authorities, MCA Counter Pollution Branch, DEFRA, EA etc; and Co-ordinate the response of Non-Governmental Organisations including the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds and the relevant Wildlife Trusts.

• Health Protection and Health Services

• The local Health Protection Unit ( HPU) provides health protection services on behalf of the local NHS organisations ( Primary Care Trusts). The local HPU is the first point of contact in an incident and there is an out-of -hours rota in operation at all times. The HPU will assess the situation from a health protection /public health perspective, access specialist advice as necessary and provide that advice to members of the SEG. They will also liase as required with local NHS organisations and health services.

Health cover is on call 24 hours a day to cover communicable diseases and human health issues. Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA) The MCA is responsible for: Taking the lead when responding to major oil and chemical spills from ships

where these threaten pollution in UK waters or the UK’s shoreline; Responding to maritime emergencies 24 hours a day; Minimising loss of life amongst seafarers and coastal users;


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Will call upon its own resources, or commission extra from with the UK, the European Union or from the International Maritime Organisation (IMO);

Will control at sea operations associated with the incident from the Marine

Response Centre (MRC). Advice on environmental matters, as they relate to the proposed operational response, will be sought from the relevant statutory agencies; and

The MCA Chief Scientist, or his representative, triggers the process for the

establishment of the Environment Group during an incident. The MCA will not only direct offshore operations but may also, when agreed, set up a shoreline Response Centre (SRC) with one or more of the local authorities effected and provide beach cleaning equipment and other resources. MCA staff, are located all around the UK, from the Coastguard Rescue Centre in Stornaway to Marine Offices in Plymouth and Great Yarmouth and the Registry of Shipping and Seamen in Cardiff. 10.0 ROLES AND RESPONSIBILITIES OF THE ENVIRONMENT GROUP The Role of the Solent Environment Group The response to any maritime incident in the UK requiring a national or regional response, of whatever scale, may involve the establishment of an Environment Group. All those involved in operations at sea (including salvage) and shoreline clean up need environmental advice and information. The Solent Environment Group advises on environmental aspects and impacts of these operations. The Group is a common facility providing comprehensive environmental advice to all response units. The remit of the Solent Environment Group is purely advisory. The Group has no powers of direction and the nature and the chair of the Group will depend upon the scale and type of the incident. Regulatory functions of individual members of the Solent Environment Group are exercised outside the Group structure and function. Any response unit established to deal with a maritime incident, including an incident within a harbour area, must contain a representative of the Solent Environment Group: the Environment Liaison Officer (ELO). Response units should make all reasonable efforts to consult the Solent Environment Group, or its Chairperson, about any proposed action that is likely to have lasting impact on the environment. If time does not permit the response unit to consult before acting, it must circulate a full written report to the Solent Environment Group and all other response units as soon as possible after the event. This report must detail the actions taken, the reasons for them, and their anticipated outcome.


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The Solent Environment Group should record its advice in writing and circulate it to the response units as soon as possible. Where a response unit does not follow such advice, it should record the reasons for not doing so as soon as possible. If a marine pollution incident is expected to have a significant long-term impact on the marine environment and/or the shoreline, arrangements will be made to monitor and assess that impact. The Solent Environment Group will be central to these arrangements. 11.0 KEY SOLENT ENVIRONMENT GROUP PERSONNEL AND THEIR

ROLES IN GENERAL Each of the key roles should be filled by the individuals most suited to the job and purpose, independent of their parent organisation or position within that organisation. They must be able to command respect and authority of personnel within the Solent Environment Group and the incident response units. Each should have one or more clearly identified deputies. a) Solent Environment Group Chairperson Management of the Solent Environment Group Ensuring strategic objectives are met Co-ordination of all group functions and activities Development and maintenance of the most appropriate structure. In the simplest incidents, act as a conduit of advice (usually by telephone to SOSREP, MCA or any response unit or local authority response co-ordination centre). The chair also nominates an Environment Liaison Officer (ELO) for each of the established response units. He/she establishes lines of communication to allow the provision of timely advice to these response units. b) Environment Liaison Officer (ELO) The role of the ELOs is to provide: A channel for Public health and environmental advice from the SEG to the

response units Providing efficient and effective timely ,prioritised and focussed environmental

advice to the individual response centres. Providing an efficient and effective two-way communication link, with respect

to public health and environmental issues, between the response centre and the Solent Environment Group.

Assimilating a sound and timely overview of the operational response centres information needs.


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Ensuring feedback to the Solent Environment Group of all relevant environmental information for the response centres on progress of the incident.

It is particularly important that ELO’s understand their role and links between the Solent Environment Group and the individual incident response centres. Communications protocol between ELO’s and the Solent Environment Group are critical and should be pre-planned for optimum operational effectiveness. ELO’s are responsible for the management and passing of information within the Solent Environment Group remit only. Only one ELO should be appointed to each response unit to ensure a clear focus of Solent Environment Group representation. However, depending on the scale of the incident, ELOs must have back up in the form of one or more deputies because health and environmental advice to the response units may be required 24hrs / day, 7 days / week. The Shoreline Response Centre ELO will be required to be a member of the SRC Management Team and must also have appropriate administrative and technical support and assistance. It is the response centre managers to identify and commit liaison officers responsible for information sharing on operational matters. Each Response Centre should be supported by a liaison officer with responsibility for highlighting operational issues which may impact on the environment (in its widest sense) and provide that information to the ELO as soon as practicable.

c) Other key roles in the Solent Environment Group In addition to the representatives of the core member bodies, depending on the scale, location and complexity of any marine pollution incident and associated response, there may be a need for a wide range of other key roles within a core Solent Environment Group. These are likely to include, but not be limited to the following: Impact assessment manager / co-ordinator Specialists according to nature of incident, e.g., specialist health protection

advisers, chemists, marine ecologists, ornithologists, water quality, geologists. Administrative and secretarial management and support. Information and data managers (strong cross links to impact assessment

manager & main link to data collection support groups). Media liaison representative.

d) Additional roles The core operational Solent Environment Group may also require support from: Deputies for all key roles, particularly Chair and ELO’s.


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Data collectors, loggers and analysts. Specialist observers to obtain environmental overviews of incident, particularly

from any available aerial platforms Specialist ‘monitors’ at sensitive sites / complex responses. The Solent Environment Group may also be required to provide environmental staff for SRC Shoreline Clean-up Assessment Teams1. The purpose and role of Solent Environment Group (SEG) is described in the SRC STOp note (STOp 1/2009). The key purposes of SCAT are to: • assess the nature and extent of shoreline pollution; • evaluate the actual and potential impact of shoreline pollution; • Identify and advise the SRC or other local authority response coordination

centre on appropriate shoreline clean-up measures required to mitigate any adverse impacts of shoreline pollution.

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12.0 STRUCTURE OF THE SOLENT ENVIRONMENT GROUP

Fig. 1 Structure of SEG in a major incident

Chair and deputy

Core Group

SEG

IMPACT ASSESSMENT

MRC

SCU

Port/Harbour Authority

Shoreline Clean-up Assessment Teams

Data and information handling, management and

storage

Specialist tasks within

SEG

Liaison with response units

Health Protection advice and monitoring ELO

ELO

ELO

SRC

ELO Wildlife welfare


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13.0 KEY TASKS OF THE SOLENT ENVIRONMENT GROUP The Solent Environment Group has a vital role in the response to any maritime incident, particularly where there might be a threat of sea or air pollution involving oil and/or hazardous substances. The purpose of advice from the Group is to minimise the impact of the incident on the environment in the widest sense. The Solent Environment Group helps to steer the overall incident response to minimise environmental harm and to ensure that response units consider all appropriate measures for environmental evaluation and act upon them. For these purposes, the “environment” includes human health interests, water quality, ecology, waste disposal and wildlife. The main function of the Group is to provide advice and guidance to the Secretary of State’s Representative (SOSREP), the Salvage Control Unit (SCU), the Marine Response Centre (MRC), the Shoreline Response Centre (SRC) and the command and control centre for response in a harbour [when established] on all environmental aspects of a pollution incident. This includes the assessment of environmental risks and potential impacts arising from an incident, as well as the implications of any clean up or salvage operations. The key tasks of the Solent Environment Group are: NB: The following tasks are not in order of priority or exhaustive and not all may be necessary in individual incidents. Tasks and priorities will be incident specific. Provision of Public Health advice Provide advice on potential and real impact on public health with respect to oil

and chemicals. Advise on requirements for the monitoring of threat to public health. Provision of operational advice on Environmental Risk Assess environmental priorities at risk from pollutant and from clean-up

activity. Establish Solent Environment Group priorities for resource protection and

pollution clean-up. Prepare an incident-specific Solent Environment Group view on at-sea and

on-shore dispersant and chemical treatment product use. Provide advice and guidance on public health and environmental sensitivities,

preferred options and public health and environmental implications of proposed salvage and clean-up response strategies with respect to achieving a net environmental benefit.


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Ensure that the above advice is timely and accurately reflects the dynamics of health and environmental resources at risk.

Ensure thorough and timely documentation of all advice provided to the

response units. Where a response unit does not follow such advice, the reasons for not doing so should be recorded. Copies of all records of advice provided and feedback from response units should be circulated within the Solent Environment Group (see Annex 6 – Record Keeping).

Facilitate effective communication on health and environmental matters

between the response units and the Solent Environment Group via appointed Environmental Liaison Officers.

Ensure that appropriate co-ordinated and timely arrangements for incident

specific assessment of the effects on public health and environment are initiated and subsequently managed (see Annex 10 - Impact Assessment )

Monitor and keep under review public health and environmental implications

of ongoing salvage and at-sea clean up operations. Contribution to the SRC Ensure representation in the SRC Management Team via the appointed

Environmental Liaison Officer. Monitor on-shore clean up operations, particularly in sensitive areas to ensure

that clean-up operations match the strategy agreed in the SRC. Advise, contribute to and provide members for the SRC-controlled multi-

disciplinary Shoreline Clean-Up Assessment Teams [SCAT], as required.

Health and Safety. Advise on health and safety measures for personnel working in the field on

behalf of the Solent Environment Group [for example, through risk assessments, COSHH, and health tracking].

Monitoring effectiveness and Reviewing Actions To ensure that the measures being taken are effective and are minimising the

impact of the spillage on the environment. Requirements of the Solent Environment Group in order to fulfil functions A wide range of expertise in the impact of oil and chemicals on public health,

marine and coastal ecology, wildlife, water quality, fisheries and animal welfare.


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Sufficient experienced personnel with appropriate local knowledge to carry out the many and varied key and essential tasks. A major incident will require a significant number of personnel, potentially 24 hours a day, seven days a week. The number of people and level of expertise required must not be underestimated.

Comprehensive information and data: pre-incident environmental baseline data and all incident related data. See Annex 8 A prepared organisational framework. 14.0 PROCEDURES WITH OTHER AGENCIES The Solent Environment Group (SEG) may draw on specialist expertise according to the nature of the incident and which will dictate specific requirements for information and advice. In a major incident the Solent Environment Group will likely be expected to field significant numbers of personnel both in the core Solent Environment Group and in the field. Incident response circumstances may require the setting up of sub groups to cater for specialist activities. Where a clear threat to public health exists, additional health protection/public health specialists will be asked to join the group. Extended membership may include: Health Local authority Environmental Health department Occupational Health Advisor Directors of Public Health from the affected Primary Care Health NHS Trusts Specialists from the Chemical Hazards and Poisons Division of the Health

protection Agency Representatives from the Strategic Health Authority, Regional Health

Protection Unit, and the Regional Director of Public Health or his representative.

15.0 EXERCISES The Solent Environment Group’s Marine Pollution Contingency Plan requires regular testing, to ensure all aspects of communication within the Group, as well as the more operational aspects of the plan such as boom deployment run smoothly. The holders of the plan should explore the possibilities of joint exercises wherever possible. The Solent Environment Group members will (resources permitting) endeavour to participate in any such exercises. It may be possible to join into exercises that have been planned as part of wider responsibilities under the Civil Contingency Act


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Directory of Spill Response Training Exercises Information is compiled on an annual basis (April to March) by the British Oil Spill control Association (BOSCA) under contract to MCA. This contains details of exercises and training planned by local authorities, ports, harbours, oil companies and Government Departments / Agencies. Copies are available from BOSCA, 4th floor, 30 Great Guildford Street, London SE1 0HS. Telephone 0171 928 9199, Fax 0171 928 6599. 16.0 PLAN REVISION Proposals by any member to revise the plan shall be forwarded to the Solent

Environment Group Chair;

Mike O’neill, Operations Manager Environment Agency Canal Walk Romsey Hampshire SO51 7LP

[email protected]

Revisions will take account of experience gained from exercises and/or actual

spill incidents, changes in risk or port operations or revision of legislation. Approval from the relevant competent member(s) of the Solent Environment

Group will be obtained prior to the revision. The Solent Environment Group Plan Co-ordinator as stated above will issue

amendment to all holders of the Solent Environment Group Plan The plan should be reviewed on a regular basis. After multi-agency maritime

exercises, or in light of the lessons learnt through response to actual maritime incidents.

17.0 COMMUNICATIONS The Solent Environment Group contingency plan will include planning for good communications. Communication systems must be rapidly put into place and activated, in order to facilitate the efficient flow of information on all aspects of the incident that concern the Solent Environment Group, from the very beginning. Caution should be exercised, to avoid the appointment of too many individuals with liaison-only functions: direct links between key players will increase efficiency and understanding within the Solent Environment Group and between the group and response centres, parent organisations and others. In a marine pollution incident, the main communications links are likely to be:


23

between the Solent Environment Group members and between "components" of the Group (e.g. core Environment Group; wider Environment Group; Impact Assessment Group; support group) and response units (SCU, MRC, SRC, port or harbour Command and Control Centre) via ELO’s

between Solent Environment Group members and their parent organisations

(to ensure that there is common understanding and consensus between the group and "parent" organisations)

between the Solent Environment Group and field workers, including SCAT

members, consultants and contractors working to or on behalf of the group (debriefing/briefing; collation of field data; project management)

between the Solent Environment Group, the media centre and (where

appropriate) other media links. The Solent Environment Group contingency plan will: clearly identify communications roles and responsibilities, and identify direct

communications links between, the Chair and deputy Chair and the ELO’s/deputy ELO’s.

clearly identify members (in addition to the Chair, ELO’s and their deputies)

who would have a key role to play in communications within and beyond the Environment Group. Their roles, tasks and who they should communicate with and report to should be made clear..

include alert procedures and identify who will be responsible for alerting

members of the group. Contact lists (to include office and out-of-hours contact details) should be compiled and kept up-to-date.

identify which members of the Solent Environment Group will act as media

spokespersons. It may be appropriate to include provision for the appointment of a media spokesperson, should this be required by the scale of the incident. The media plan incorporated in the National Contingency Plan and currently used by the MCGA will be adopted for use by the SEG if deemed appropriate by the SEG.

include an agreed protocol for record-keeping throughout the incident: all

communications made within the group, and between the group and response units and other external individuals and organisations should be recorded. It is vital that logs are kept of the following:

all telephone calls made and received; all faxes sent and received; all e-mails sent and received.


24

Identify the facilities required for effective communication. The scale of technical and administrative resources needed in a major incident should not be underestimated. Consideration should be given to the following:

- assessment of existing telephone and fax lines in rooms identified for use by

the Solent Environment Group. Plans for installing additional telephone and fax lines should be drawn up if the existing facilities are considered to be inadequate. (Note: where possible, land lines should be used for calls so that logging systems are not by-passed).

- dedicated, unlisted lines should be made available for ELO’s in response

units and the Chair/deputy Chair of the group. - provision of (or access to) teleconferencing facilities; - provision of internet and e-mail facilities;

- provision of administrative support, including access to photocopying

facilities.

Identify areas where reception on mobile phones is poor and investigate alternative means of communication e.g. VHF radio links, to ensure efficient communications between the group and people working in the field on its behalf.


25

18.0 MEDIA Refer to: Appendix L, National Contingency Plan for Marine Pollution from Shipping and Offshore Installations (Maritime and Coastguard Agency)


26

Annexes


27

Annexes Annex 1 List of Emergency Plans covering the Solent Area Annex 2 Environmental Risks Annex 3 Natural Conservation Designations Annex 4 Marine Pollution Annex 5 Record Keeping Annex 6 Environmental Sensitivities Annex 7 Data and Information Annex 8 Impact Assessment Annex 9 Contact Directory Annex 10 Incident Form/Check List Annex 11 Reporting Pollution – Format of CG77 POLREP Annex 12 Solent Environment Group – Generic first meeting agenda

for maritime pollution incidents Annex 13 Solent Environment Group – Checklist of essential

information to be obtained during initial alert for maritime pollution incidents

Annex 14 Media Holding Statement - deleted Annex 15 Media Statement - deleted Annex 16 Health and Safety Regulations which are likely to apply to

major clean-up operations.


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ANNEX 1

LIST OF EMERGENCY PLANS COVERING THE SOLENT AREA Introduction The Solent Environment Group’s Marine Pollution Plan interfaces with similar contingency plans that have been drawn up to deal with the UK Government’s responsibility for saving life at sea, for search and rescue and caring for survivors brought ashore, and for protecting the environment. Such plans have been prepared by local authorities, harbour authorities and operators of offshore installations which all underlie the national plan. The following list presents other contingency plans covering the Solent Estuary. This is not the definitive list for emergency plans; however, it does cover the major players: Interfacing Emergency Plans and Status Plan Plan Status Plan Plan Status HCC Coastal Oil & Chemical Pollution Plan

Under review River Hamble Harbour Authority OPRC

Approved by MCA

The Dockyard Port of Portsmouth & Commercial Port OPRC

Consistency checks by MCA

Eling Terminal (ABP) OPRC

Approved by MCA

Southampton Port OPRC

Approved by MCA

Langstone Harbour OPRC

Approved by MCA

Newport Harbour (IOW) OPRC

Reclassified as a category c/d port. Plan not required at the moment.

Yarmouth (IOW) OPRC

Approved by MCA

Fawley Terminal OPRC

Approved by MCA

Lymington (IOW) OPRC

Approved by MCA

Hamble Terminal OPRC

Approved by MCA

Cowes (IOW) OPRC

Approved by MCA

National Contingency Plan

Chichester Harbour OPRC

Approved by MCA

West Sussex County Council Coastal Pollution Plan

July 2005 IOW Oil Spill Contingency Plan Volumes 1 and 2.

Approved by MCA

Chichester Harbour Protection Plan

Tested in 2000

IOChemical/Biological Incident Plan.

Approved by MCA


29


30

ANNEX 2

Environmental Risks The Solent is one of Britain’s most important estuaries. Economic development, ecological diversity and geographical features combine to form an area of both financial and environmental concern. The ports located at Southampton and Portsmouth are of great commercial significance within the Solent and are a major contributor to the regional and national economy. Annual total goods exported through Southampton in 1995 amounted to 31,422,700 tones (of which 23,377,900 tones were oil), with 634,574 tones passing through Portsmouth. The ports provide services within a competitive market of International trade. Recreation There are an estimated 25,000 yachts moored within the Solent. The number of marina yacht berths in the Solent has doubled in the last 25 years. Over 20 different types of recreation take place in the Solent. Recreation is vital to the Solent - and the quality of the Solent is vital for recreation. In terms of the numbers of people involved and its extent, recreation can be counted as the Solent's most significant activity. It is certainly the most diverse, with at least twenty different activities taking place, each with its own characteristic distribution and pattern of use. Land-based informal recreation and walking have by far the greatest number of participants. They are provided for by country parks, public open spaces, beaches, the rights of way network and a range of visitor attractions and facilities. However it is water sports which have the highest profile, and the Solent has an international reputation for sailing. A number of other waterspouts are also significant, and a statement on the range of activities is provided in the box below. Nature Conservation The Solent is internationally important for nature conservation, because it is a unique sheltered body of water lying between the mainland and the Isle of Wight. In addition the Solent encompasses a complex of estuaries, open inshore waters, coastal and marine habitats. Due to its location at a transition between different biological realms many species within the Solent are at their limits of the natural ranges. Physical features of the system, which are important include Coastal, intertidal and marine habitats, which include grazing marsh, sea grass, vegetated shingle, sea cliffs, saltmashes, sand flats, rocky shores, lagoons and a variety of types of sea-bed. The Solent has a particularly important role in sustaining bird-life. This includes the presence of nesting colonies of terns, gulls and other shorebirds, and the provision of feeding and roosting sites for migrating and overwintering wading birds and wildfowl, supporting a winter peak of c. 150,000 birds. There are also a number of other rare and important plant and animal species present; Fisheries Fisheries including naturally sustaining populations of native oysters and


31

threatened migratory salmon and sea trout populations. The Solent is an important nursery for sea bass, and a range of other seafish.


32


33

ANNEX 3 Natural conservation designations The Solent Maritime European marine site (Solent EMS) is a complex cluster of designated sites encompassing a major estuarine system on the south coast of England. It has the largest number of small estuaries in the tightest cluster anywhere in Great Britain and is located in one of the only few major sheltered channels in Europe, lying between the Isle of Wight and mainland. The Solent and its inlets are unique in Britain and Europe for their complex tidal regime, with long periods of tidal stand at high and low water, and for the complexity and particularly dynamic nature of the marine and estuarine habitats present within the area. There is a wide variety of marine sediment habitats influenced by a range of salinities, wave shelter and intensity of tidal streams, resulting in a uniquely complex site. Sediment habitats within the estuaries include extensive areas of estuarine flats, with inter-tidal areas often supporting sea grass and green algae, salt marsh, and natural shoreline transitions, such as drift line vegetation. Many of the inter-tidal areas within the Solent EMS are important for a number of nesting, roosting and feeding birds. The Solent Estuary, is an area of great ecological importance, at risk from the activities of modern society. The combination of the oil and chemical industries and one of the busiest shipping lanes in Europe, has the potential to bring ecological disaster, to a particularly sensitive and difficult to protect location. For the purpose of this plan, the entire estuary has been divided into cells. For each of these units, a full list of environmental sensitivities, designations, potential booming sites and listings for high-risk sites is available.


34


35

ANNEX 4 Marine Pollution. The main sources of oil pollution that have occurred within UK harbours, near-shore waters and ports, including the number of spills and main hydrocarbons spilt, are listed below: Sources of Pollution No. of Spills Sources of Pollution as a

% of Total No of Reports Types of Oil Spilt

Unknown sources 165 / 44% Fuel oils, hydraulic oils and refined oils

Other vessels 140 / 37% Fuel oils, bunker oils (including diesel)

Industrial premises, out-falls, other sources

40 / 11% Fuel oils, hydraulic oils, refined petroleum products

Coastal tankers, VLCC or ULCC

16 / 4% Crude oils; fuel oils, refined petroleum products

Land terminals and jetties 11 / 3% Crude oils; fuel oils, hydraulic oil; refined petroleum products

Disturbance of wrecks 5 / 1% Fuel oils Source: ABP - Solent clean © Environmental Consultancy Services Ltd. As the above data demonstrates, the number of spills occurs more frequently from the recognised group, other vessels. The oil pollution from these incidents is limited to the amount of oil that can potentially be spilt, and are limited to fuel oils. The coastal tankers, VLCC and ULCC’s group consists of a small percentage of spill sources, however, this source of pollution has the potential risk of very large spills. The spillage risk from oil handling facilities make up a small percentage of oil pollution sources. Minor oil spills do occur in the course of normal ship operations, such as bunkering etc, and most terminals have well defined plans to deal with such spills. However, the effects of a major spill and the subsequent clean-up resource implications would be significant and many factors would affect the fate of a major spill. One of the primary considerations relates to the oil type. Table 3.0 gives a summary of oil types present in the Solent and adjacent area (ABP,1998)


36

Table 3. Types of Oil present in the Solent and adjacent area (ABP,1998).

FIELD DETERMINED OIL TYPE

DESIGNATION REPRESENTATIVE OILS

DIAGNOSTIC PROPERTIES

PHYSICAL/ CHEMICAL PROPERTIES

A Light Volatile Oils

Distillate fuel and most light crude oils

Highly fluid, usually transparent but can be opaque, strong odour, rapid spreading, can be rinsed from plant sample by simple agitation

May be flammable, high rate of evaporative loss of volatile components, assumed to be highly toxic to marine or aquatic biota when fresh, tends to form unstable emulsion may penetrate substrate.

B Non-sticky Oils Medium to heavy paraffin-base refined and crude oils

Moderate to high viscosity, waxy or oily feel, can be rinsed from surfaces by low pressure water flushing

Generally removable from surfaces, penetration of substrate variable, toxicity variable, includes water in oil emulsions

C Heavy Sticky Oils

Residual fuel oils; medium to heavy asphaltic and mixed-base crude oils

Typically opaque brown or black, sticky or tarry, viscous, cannot be rinsed from plant by simple agitation

High viscosity, hard to remove from surfaces, tend to form stable emulsions, high specific gravity and potential for sinking after weathering, low substrate

D Non-fluid (at ambient temperature) oils

Residual and heavy crude oils

Tarry or waxy lumps

Non spreading, cannot be recovered from water surfaces using most cleanup equipment, cannot be pumped without pre-heating or slurrying, initially relatively non-toxic, may melt and flow when stranded in sun


37

The Solent Estuary. The Solent Area with Shipping Lanes and Oil and Chemical Sites illustrated via the red X

The Blue lines show the Shipping lanes. Deep Water Entrance The main sources of potential oil pollution for the Solent Estuary are illustrated above: Marine Environment High Risk Area (MEHRA’s This approach was used for the creation of Marine Environmental High Risk Areas (“MEHRAs”), created by Safetec UK Ltd. The report was commissioned by the Department of the Environment Transport and the Regions, which has since been replaced by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (“DEFRA”), to identify potential marine environment high risk areas around the UK following the recommendations made by Lord Donaldson after the BRAER incident (Donaldson, 1994). Risk Assessment for the Solent Area. Pollution Spills - (from sea to shore, tonnes per annum) 2 -10 tonnes Coastal Pollution Risk Results - Medium – Very High Environmental Sensitivity - Low – High Environmental Sensitivity - Low – High Pollution Risk and Environmental Sensitivity - Medium – Very High Under this classification, the South East Coast of England including the East and South coast of the Isle of Wight were ranked within the top MEHRAs for the UK.


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ANNEX 5

RECORD KEEPING It is essential that during any counter pollution operation all those involved keep records of what was done, when and why, to provide an audit trail. There will inevitably be pressure, frequently severe, to deal with new issues and problems and to relegate record keeping to a lesser priority. However, the importance of contemporary records cannot be over-emphasised. It is simply not realistic to rely on memory to reconstruct events in a fast moving and possibly lengthy incident. Responders must therefore arrange to keep adequate contemporary records which can be used to re-construct the incident at a later date when it may be necessary to fully justify advice provided by the Solent Environment Group or to recover costs. Records The precise form of records will vary according to circumstances. There are two principal points to keep in mind: records may have to serve a variety of purposes and are the source material

from which much information will be drawn since responders can not predict every purpose that records will serve in

advance, record keeping should err on the side of too much rather than too little detail.

As a minimum, records should clearly show the information received, orders given, and any action taken as well as date and time details. The Solent Environment Group should keep records of the following during the course of a maritime pollution incident: incoming and outgoing telephone calls faxes received and sent email messages received and sent text messages received and sent radio messages received and sent telex messages received and sent Dictaphone tapes photographs/ video taken or received copies of all HMCG pollution reports received minutes of meetings of the Solent Environment Group and its component sub-

groups records of decisions taken by the Solent Environment Group records of advice provided to response units and action taken in response to

the advice provided records of all costs incurred by the Solent Environment Group copies of all relevant press releases media reports (including video-recordings of TV news coverage)


39

Incident Log The Solent Environment Group should maintain an incident log which should

include timely reports on the condition of the casualty, nature of pollution and rate of discharge, location and behaviour of pollutant, action by response units etc, since this information will be a major factor in determining the advice provided to response cells and in impact assessment planning. Charts should be maintained to record the extent of pollution and any response activity and copies should be taken at regular intervals to ensure there is a visual record of how the incident progressed. Accurate recording of information will aid in improved decision making and therefore effectiveness. In addition accurate information will aid in claim procedure’s, when ITOPF asses the claim levels.

Recording decisions taken by the Solent Environment Group The Solent Environment Group should maintain a record of decisions made by

the Group including: the views of individual Solent Environment Group members resolution of conflicting views accurate minutes of all Solent Environment Group meetings options/strategies considered Environmental advice provided to response units The development and agreement of the Solent Environment Group views

should be concisely and accurately recorded in writing. Records of how Solent Environment Group advice was received and acted upon by response units must be maintained.

In the case of a request for dispersant use, DEFRA will provide a written reply to the response unit, copied to the Solent Environment Group, either authorising or declining the request to use dispersants. Written approval may include conditions associated with that approval, and where the request has been declined, the reasons why it is considered that dispersants should not be used.

ELO’s should keep specific records of: advice provided to response units and how that advice was received and

acted upon, requests for information made by response units, how the information was

provided and when requests for information made to the core Solent Environment Group on

behalf of response units.


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Financial Records Although the Solent Environment Group will not itself incur expenditure, its

membership will do so and any collaborative Solent Environment Group activities likely to incur expense must be recorded. Records will be used to corroborate claims for reasonable expenditure.

Detailed financial records must be kept of: manpower (staff grades, rates of pay, time worked, location, work activity) resource costs (equipment, charge out rates, IT costs, communications) expenses incurred by Solent Environment Group members externally placed contract costs (specialist surveys, secretariat) For the purpose of: cost recovery financial audit trail support of archive records official reports on spending by the public and private sector. Comprehensive documentation and record keeping will assist the prompt preparation and payment of claims for compensation for expenditure incurred by Solent Environment Group members. As with any operation involving the expenditure of large sums of money, the usual rules of proprietary, accountability and the need for an audit trail apply. Record collation and archiving/ storage/ disposal • All Solent Environment Group records must be properly collated archived and

stored. Procedures, responsibilities and archive location should be identified during planning of the standing Solent Environment Group.


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42

ENVIRONMENTAL SENSITIVITIES In order for the Solent Environment Group to provide operational, monitoring and environmental data advice to all response units when dealing with a maritime incident, it has been imperative that a comprehensive database is available so that it can be accessed immediately. To identify environmental sensitivities and priorities for protection, the plan area has been divided into 45 individual marine cells which follow the coastline from Christchurch harbour to Selsey Harbour including the environs of the north and south coasts of the IoW. Environmental Sensitivities Each marine cell within the Solent area contains the following information:

• Cell number • The coastal area • Prioritisation criteria • Habitat Type • Comments • Authority the cell is located in • Priority in both summer and Winter • Protection possibilities

Table 1. Cell Number & Location Cell Location 1 Foreland point to Culver Down (Iow) 2 Culver Down to Yaverland 3 Yaverland to Dunnose 4 Dunnose to Woody Bay St Lawrence 5 Woody Bay St Lawrence to St Catherine’s Point 6 St Catherine’s Point to Atherfield Point 7 Atherfield Point to Hanover Point 8 Hanover Point to The Needles 9 Hengistbury Head to Mudeford 10 Christchurch Harbour 11 Mudeford to Chewton Bunny 12 Chewton Bunny to Milford on Sea 13 Milford on Sea to Hurst Beach 14 Hurst Spit & Cliff End (IoW) 15 The Needles to Warden Point 16 Hurst Castle to Normandy, Lymington, Including Keyhaven, Avon Water and

Sturt Pond 17 Mouth of Lymington and Cliff End to Yarmouth Pier (IoW)

ANNEX 6


43

18 Lymington River 19 River Yar 20 Pylewell Point to Thorns Beach & Yarmouth Pier to Newtown entrance 21 Thorns Beach to Needs Ore Point & Newtown entrance to Gurnard Ledge 22 Newtown Harbour 23 Beaulieu River 24 Needs Ore Point to Stansore Point & Gurnard Ledge to Egypt Point 25 Stansore Point to Calshot Castle to Titchfield Haven & Egypt Point to Old

Castle Point 26 Entrance to Southampton Water 27 Cadland Creek to Hythe Marina to Netley Point to Hook Park 28 Hamble Estuary and River 29 Dock Head to Netley, Southampton Water. 30 Itchen Estuary 31 Marchwood Yacht Club to Bury Swinging Ground, Test Estuary 32 Upstream of Bury Swinging Ground to tidal limit at Redbridge, Test Estuary 33 River Medina 34 Old Castle Point to Woodside to Lee on Solent to Titchfield Haven, including

Kings Quay 35 Woodside to Ryde to Gilkicker Point to Lee on Solent, including Wootton Creek 36 Ryde to Nettlestone Point to Portsmouth to Gilkicker Point 37 Portsmouth Harbour 38 Nettlestone Point to Node’s Point to Portsmouth to West Winner Point 39 Nodes Point to Foreland Point(excluding Bembridge Harbour) 40 Bembridge Harbour 41 Hayling Island Sea front 42 Langstone & Chichester Harbour 43 Chichester Harbour entrance (east) to Selsey Bill 44 Selsey Bill to Pagham Harbour entrance (east) 45 Pagham Harbour Figures 2, 3 and 4 illustrate the areas and zones: Figure 2. OPRC areas in the Solent Figure 3. Summer Protection Priorities Figure 4. Winter Protection Priorities

SOLENT ENVIRONMENT GROUP MARINE POLLUTION CONTINGENCY PLAN ___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

last update:27/03/2013




Table 2 PRIORITY OF AREAS FOR PROTECTION DURING THE SUMMER AND WINTER

Cell Coastal Area Prioritisation Criteria Habitat Type (Ref

Appendix I)

Comments Authority the cell is located in

Priority 1 = highest 4 = lowest

Protection Possible

?

Council/ Local

Authority

Port/ Harbour Authority

Sum-mer

Win-ter

1 Foreland Point to Culver Down (IoW)

Tourism Marine conservation site

Low 1A//3A

Rocky shore is too exposed Access very difficult

IoWC QHM Portsmouth

2 3 NO

2 Culver Down to Yaverland

Recreation Environmentally sensitive marine conservation site.

Low, Medium 1A, 2A, 3A, 5

Too exposed and difficult to access

IoWC QHM Portsmouth

3 3 NO

3 Yaverland to Dunnose

Recreation Tourism

Medium 4/5

Open coast, unsuitable for booming

IoWC 1 1 NO

4 Dunnose to Woody Bay St Lawrence

Recreation Tourism

Medium 5

Shore too exposed for booming Access very difficult

IoWC 1 1 NO

5 Woody Bay St Lawrence to St Catherine’s Point

Recreation Tourism

Medium 5

Shore too exposed for booming. Access very difficult (cliffs)

IoWC 4 4 NO



Appendix I)



Protection Possible

?

Council/ Local

Authority


Sum-mer

Win-ter

6 St Catherine’s Point to Atherfield Point

Recreation, Tourism

Medium 6A

Access too difficult and shoreline very exposed

IoWC 4 4 NO

7 Atherfield Point to Hanover Point

Recreation Tourism

Medium Shore too exposed for booming Access very difficult (cliffs)

IoWC 4 4 NO

8 Hanover Point to The Needles

Recreation Tourism Sea birds nesting

Low 1A

Shoreline too exposed access very difficult

IoWC 2 1 NO

9 Hengistbury Head to Mudeford

Tourism Recreation

Low-Medium 3A, 4, 5

Coastline too exposed for booming

Dorset CC, Christchurch BC

2 3 NO

10 Christchurch Harbour

Environmentally sensitive due to mudflats. Major boating location Commercial interests

High 9A

Contingency plan in place

Dorset CC, Christchurch BC

Christchurch Harbour Commissioner

2 2 YES



Appendix I)



Protection Possible

?

Council/ Local

Authority


Sum-mer

Win-ter

11 Mudeford to Chewton Bunny

Recreation Tourism

Medium 5

Shore too exposed for booming Access very difficult in places

Dorset CC Bournemouth BC

2 4 NO

12 Chewton Bunny to Milford on Sea

Recreation Tourism

Medium 6A

Shore too exposed for booming Access very difficult (cliffs)

Hampshire CC, New Forest DC

3 4 NO

13 Milford on Sea to Hurst Beach

Recreation Tourism Environmentally Sensitive

Medium 4, 5, 6A


HCC, New Forest DC

3 4 NO

14 Hurst Spit & Cliff End (IoW)

Maritime Archaeology Tourism Environmentally sensitive due to bird roosting

Low - Medium 1B, 3A, 6A

Access very difficult Shore too exposed for booming

HCC, NFDC IoWC

3 4 NO

15 The Needles to Warden Point

Recreation Tourism Seabirds

Low 1A/2A

Shore too exposed for booming Access very difficult (cliffs)

IoWC 2 4 NO



Appendix I)



Protection Possible

?

Council/ Local

Authority


Sum-mer

Win-ter

16 Hurst Castle to Normandy, Lymington, Including Keyhaven, Avon Water and Sturt Pond

Environmentally sensitive due to mudflats and saltmarsh Recreation, Tourism Commercial Fishing, waders , wildfowl and other seabirds.

High 10A

Access difficult in some parts

NFDC, HCC

EA Prioritised Area

1 1 YES

17

Mouth of Lymington and Cliff End to Yarmouth Pier (IoW)

Environmentally sensitive due to mudflats and saltmarsh Recreation, Tourism Commercial Fishing Commercial Interests, waders , wildfowl and other seabirds.

High 10A

Harbours covered in 18 and 19

HCC, NFDC

Yarmouth Harbour Com’s, Lymington Harbour Master

1 1 YES



Appendix I)



Protection Possible

?

Council/ Local

Authority


Sum-mer

Win-ter

18 Lymington River Recreation Tourism Commercial Fishing Environmentally Sensitive due to mudflats and saltmarsh. Waders wildfowl and other seabirds

High 7, 8B, 9A

Booming possible, although plans not validated

HCC, NFDC

Lymington Harbour Board

1 1 YES

19 River Yar Recreation, Tourism Commercial Fishing Commercial Interests Env Sensitive

High 10A

Booming Plan approved by the MCA. Validated in 1999

IoWC Yarmouth Harbour Commissioner

2 1 YES

20 Pylewell Point to Thorns Beach & Yarmouth Pier to Newtown entrance

Environmentally sensitive due to mudflats and saltmarsh Recreation, Tourism Commercial Fishing, waders , wildfowl and other seabirds.

High 10A/9A

Access difficult in some parts, Exposed shoreline

NFDC IoWC HCC

4 2 NO



Appendix I)



Protection Possible

?

Council/ Local

Authority


Sum-mer

Win-ter

21 Thorns Beach to Needs Ore Point & Newtown entrance to Gurnard Ledge

Marine conservation site. Waders and wildfowl Environmentally sensitive due to Mudflats, Recreation, Tourism Commercial Fishing. Waders wildfowl & other seabirds

High Medium 9A/5


IoWC NFDC HCC

2 2 NO

22 Newtown Harbour

Environmentally sensitive due to mudflats and saltmarsh. Boating, tourism and commercial interests. Waders and other sea birds

High 9A/10A

Booming plan for Harbour, validated 1999 by EA & MCA.

IoWC National Trust, EA

1 1 YES

23 Beaulieu River Tourism Recreation – Boating Environmentally sensitive due to mudflts and salt marshes. Wildfowl and waders site.

High 9A, 10A

Booming Plans for Gins Farm and Bucklers Hard Validation Nov 1998

NFDC, HCC

Beaulieu Estate

1 1 YES



Appendix I)



Protection Possible

?

Council/ Local

Authority


Sum-mer

Win-ter

24 Needs Ore Point to Stansore Point & Gurnard Ledge to Egypt Point

Environmentally sensitive due to mudflats and saltmarsh Boating, tourism and commercial interests, Waders wildfowl and other seabirds

Medium/ High 10A/9A/5


IoWC, HCC, NFDC

2 2 NO

25 Stansore Point to Calshot Castle to Titchfield Haven & Egypt Point to Old Castle Point

Recreation, Tourism Commercial Fishing Commercial interests Waders and wildfowl and other seabirds.

Medium 5


NFDC IoWC, HCC

ABP Southampton

3 3 NO

26

Entrance to Southampton Water

Recreation – Boating, Windsurfing Commercial – Boating Tourism Environmentally Sensitive gravel beaches

Low, Medium, High 3A, 4, 5, 6A, 7


HCC, NFDC, Fareham DC,

ABP Southampton

3 3 NO



Appendix I)



Protection Possible

?

Council/ Local

Authority


Sum-mer

Win-ter

27 Cadland Creek to Hythe Marina to Netley Point to Hook Park

Recreation, Commercial Fishing, Commercial Interests, Environmentally Sensitive due to mudflats, saltmarsh, wildfowl and waders.

High 8B 9A 9B

Booming Plan approved by the MCA. Validated in 1999

NFDC, Eastleigh DC, HCC

ABP Southampton, Fawley OPRC Area

2 2 YES

28 Hamble Estuary and River

Tourism Recreation – Boating Environmentally sensitive due to mudflts. Wildfowl and waders site.

High 9A, 10A

Booming Plan approved by MCA

Winchester DC, Fareham DC, Eastleigh DC, HCC

Hamble Harbour Master

2 2 YES



Appendix I)



Protection Possible

?

Council/ Local

Authority


Sum-mer

Win-ter

29 Dock Head to Netley, Southampton Water.

Environmentally sensitive due to mudflats, saltmarsh, waders and wildfowl. Boating, tourism and commercial interests, waders and wildfowl.

High 10A/9A/8B

Booming plan for Test upstream of Redbridge Validation Nov 1998 Booming plan for Eling Creek & Great Marsh Validation Nov 1999

NFDC, Southampton City Council, HCC

ABP Southampton (Upstream of Redbridge, Eling Wharf – EA for booming.)

2 2 YES

30 Itchen Estuary Environmentally sensitive due to mudflats, site for waders and wildfowl Commercial Interests

High 9A

Booming Plan validated 1999 by MCA

Southampton CC, HCC

ABP Southampton

4 2 YES

31 Marchwood Yacht Club to Bury Swinging Ground, Test Estuary

Environmentally sensitive due to mudflats, saltmarsh, waders and wildfowl. Commercial Interests

High 10A

Contingency Plan –validated 1999 by MCA

Southampton CC, NFDC, HCC

ABP Southampton

3 2 YES



Appendix I)



Protection Possible

?

Council/ Local

Authority


Sum-mer

Win-ter

32 Upstream of Bury Swinging Ground to tidal limit at Redbridge, Test Estuary

Environmentally sensitive due to mudflats and saltmarsh Boating, tourism and commercial interests

High 10A/9A/8B

Booming plan for Test upstream of Redbridge Validation Nov 1998 Booming plan for Eling Creek & Great Marsh Validation Nov 1999

NFDC, Test Valley DC, Southampton CC, HCC

ABP Southampton

1 1 NO

33 River Medina Environmentally sensitive due to mudflats and waterfowl. Boating, tourism and commercial interests.

High 9A

Draft plan in place awaiting approval from the MCA

IoWC Cowes Harbour Commission, Newport HC

1 1 YES

34 Old Castle Point to Woodside to Lee on Solent to Titchfield Haven, including Kings Quay

Recreation, Tourism Commercial Fishing Environmentally Sensitive due to saltmarsh.

High Medium 10A/5

Beaches too exposed for booming except for Kings Quay

IoWC, Gosport DC, Fareham DC, HCC

QHM Portsmouth

2 3 NO (Yes in parts)



Appendix I)



Protection Possible

?

Council/ Local

Authority


Sum-mer

Win-ter

35 Woodside to Ryde to Gilkicker Point to Lee on Solent, including Wootton Creek

Recreation Commercial Fishing Environmentally Sensitive due to mudflats and saltmarsh and waterfowl in parts.

High Medium 5/10A

Beaches too exposed for booming apart from Wootton Creek

IoWC HCC, Gosport DC

QHM Portsmouth


36 Ryde to Nettlestone Point to Portsmouth to Gilkicker Point

Recreation, Tourism Commercial Fishing Commercial interests Saline Lagoon

Medium 5

Open coast, unsuitable for booming but protection of Gilkicker Lagoon possible via activation of sluice

IoWC, HCC, Gosport DC, Portsmouth CC

QHM Portsmouth


37 Portsmouth Harbour

Environmentally sensitive due to mudflats waders and other sea birds Boating location Commercial interests

High 9A/8B

Note only certain areas Harbour can be protected as tidal currents are too strong to boom the entrance. Harbour inter- connected with Langstone Harbour.

Gosport DC, Fareham DC, Portsmouth CC, Hampshire CC

QHM Portsmouth

1 1 YES



Appendix I)



Protection Possible

?

Council/ Local

Authority


Sum-mer

Win-ter

38 Nettlestone Point to Node’s Point to Portsmouth to West Winner Point

Recreation, Commercial Fishing Environmentally Sensitive Marine conservation site waders & wildfowl

Low Medium 1A/3A/5


Portsmouth CC, HCC

QHM Portsmouth

2 1 NO

39 Nodes Point to Foreland Point(excluding Bembridge Harbour)

Tourism Recreation Marine conservation

Low 1A, 2A, 3A

Rocky shore too exposed. Access very difficult

IoWC QHM Portsmouth

1 1 NO

40 Bembridge Harbour

Recreation, Tourism Commercial Fishing Commercial interests

High 9A

Not included in QHM Portsmouth’s jurisdiction

IoWC 1 1 YES

41

Hayling Island Sea front

Recreation Tourism Vegetated shingle and dune communities

Low- Medium IB, 6A


Havant DC, HCC

QHM Portsmouth

2 2 NO



Appendix I)



Protection Possible

?

Council/ Local

Authority


Sum-mer

Win-ter

42 Langstone & Chichester Harbour

Environmentally sensitive due to mudflats waders and other sea birds. Marine mammals Boating location Commercial interests

High 9A

Chichester Harbour plan due to be tested in Sept 2000. Note, only certain areas of both Harbours can be protected as tidal currents are too strong to boom the entrance. Sub prioritisation required. Harbours are inter- connected.

Portsmouth CC, Havant DC, Chichester DC, HCC, West Sussex CC

Chichester Harbour Conservancy Langstone Harbour Board

1 1

YES

43 Chichester Harbour entrance (east) to Selsey Bill

Recreation Tourism

Medium 5


Chichester DC, West Sussex CC

2 2 NO

44 Selsey Bill to Pagham Harbour entrance (east)

Recreation, Tourism

Medium 5

Open coast unsuitable for booming

Chichester DC, West Sussex CC

3 2 NO



Appendix I)



Protection Possible

?

Council/ Local

Authority


Sum-mer

Win-ter

45 Pagham Harbour

Environmentally Sensitive due to mudflats and saltmarsh, waders and other seabirds site Recreation

9A, 10A Chichester DC, West Sussex CC

Pagham Harbour Board

1 1 YES

SOLENT ENVIRONMENT GROUP MARINE POLLUTION CONTINGENCY PLAN

ANNEX 7 DATA AND INFORMATION Any incident that results in pollutant or chemical pollution at sea will generate an immediate requirement for a range of reliable data collected before, during and after the incident. Data will be required by the Solent Environment Group to: ♦ enable risk assessment of implications for human health and environmental

damage likely to result from pollution and / or response and clean-up operations, to be carried out to inform advice on response strategies

♦ enable the best possible advice to be provided to the response units, and hence obtain maximum environmental benefit from the response operations

♦ enable individual statutory agencies within the Solent Environment Group to fulfil their obligations in relation to the incident

♦ provide accurate, real-time information on any public health and environmental impacts of an incident to politicians, the media and the general public

♦ enable any short, medium and long-term impacts of a pollution incident to be described, quantified and evaluated

DATA REQUIREMENTS TYPES OF DATA Data requirements are likely to fall into the following broad categories: ♦ pre-incident baseline data ♦ data required for operational purposes (including: fate and behaviour of

pollutant, risk assessment, provision of environmental advice, monitoring progress of the incident and of response / clean-up operations)

♦ data on the effects of the incident. Although primarily required for impact assessment in the short, medium and long-term (human health and natural environment), these data also provides vital feedback to operational advice

EVOLUTION OF DATA REQUIREMENTS Data requirements during and after an incident resulting in marine pollution are likely to evolve from the early to later stages of the incident, depending on the scale of the incident, the nature of the pollutant, the response operations and scale of impact assessment. The immediate and urgent tasks at the start of an incident are, in order of priority: ♦ determination of human population at risk


♦ real-time ‘stock assessments’ of environment and wildlife threatened by contamination

♦ (re)establishment of data baselines to inform later impact assessment (requirements should be identified in planning stage)

♦ collection of data on immediate acute impacts on health and wildlife The work of field data collectors will evolve as the incident progresses and may rapidly become impact assessment only. Collection of data in support of impact assessment of the chronic health effects, subtidal and water column, and intertidal sediment and biota must be anticipated as lasting for a significantly longer period than the at-sea and shoreline operational responses respectively. Pre-Incident Baseline Data Consideration should be given to the collation of the following physical, biological and environmental health information: Human health Population distribution See (x13.00 Population Information for the Solent area)

and potential exposure to pollutant (including aerosols) epidemiology Will require advice from a health specialist. Physical environment tides, currents, inshore bathymetry geomorphology and topography of shorelines, coastal hinterland and

nearshore seabed. Conservation designations international and national nature conservation designations (including: SAC,

SPA, Ramsar, Biosphere reserve, MCZ, NNR, SSSI, ASSI, GCR etc) National Parks, Regional Parks Scheduled Ancient Monuments local conservation and other designations (AONB, RIGs, LNR, Heritage

Coast,) other sites of nature conservation or cultural importance / sensitivity Geological features Geological Conservation Review (GCR) sites boundaries, priority areas and

any associated images and data. Regionally Important Geological Sites (RIGS) – boundaries, priority areas and

any associated images and data. Contact data for involving appropriate geological expertise All available shore profile data


Biological information: Distribution, size and seasonal variations in populations of: marine mammals (cetaceans, seals) & otters birds (seabirds, seaduck, wetland birds {wildfowl and waders}) herptiles (marine turtles) fish shellfish and other marine invertebrates flora (eelgrass, algae, saltmarsh plants) potentially vulnerable terrestrial flora (including lichens) and fauna Human and ecological food chains: livestock distrubution & potential exposure to pollutant (including aerosols) fisheries Habitats Distribution of major intertidal and nearshore subtidal rock & sediment habitats

(N.B.: inaccessible shores as well as beaches). Distribution of major coastal and terrestrial habitats on backshore and in

coastal hinterland (e.g. dunes, saltmarsh, cliffs) Archaeology Coastal, intertidal and subtidal structures of national and local archaeological

and historical importance (e.g. wrecks, sunken forests, harbour / quay walls, lime kilns, iron age forts, burial chambers)

Cultural features Historic landscapes, listed buildings Pollutant benchmarks Background data on contaminant levels and variation in sediment, water, air,

soil, biota (fish, shellfish, avian, mammal, terrestrial vegetation) Background information In addition to specific datasets, a range of background information will be of potential value to the Solent Environment Group. generic technical information - potential effects of different pollutants - response techniques and their physical and chemical effects - oil and chemical hazard data sheets


sensitivity of environmental features - synthesised site specific assessments and predicted effects of pollutants and

response / clean-up techniques on environmental features based on generic information and previous local & / or other relevant experience to support NEBA

response contingency planning - access, booming, temporary waste holding etc legal information - legal requirements and obligations (e.g. FEPA, fisheries closure orders,

consultation requirements for dispersant use within marine SACs, MCZs) OPERATIONAL DATA REQUIREMENTS Prevailing physical conditions weather and sea conditions; specific tidal flow information . Fate & behaviour of pollutant The following data are essential to the determination of operational advice and impact assessment by the Solent Environment Group: the type & properties, position, extent, amount, condition and behaviour of

pollutant at sea in real time actual and predicted future track of pollutant at sea over time areas of shoreline polluted and predicted as likely to become polluted and the

predicted timings actual and predicted distribution and concentration of airborne pollutant and

aerosols position, extent, amount, condition, behaviour and evolution of pollutant on

shore Wildlife resource Compilation of baseline data should identify most resources. However, part of that resource may be mobile or seasonal. Also baseline data may be sparse or not recent. Therefore, real-time ‘stock’ and risk assessments of wildlife and environmental features potentially at risk of impact may be necessary to support the provision of operational advice. Where necessary and when time permits, establishment of additional baseline data for locations threatened by pollution may be valuable to support later impact assessment. Depending on local circumstances, the highest priorities for real time wildlife stock assessments are likely to include marine mammals, seabirds, seaduck at sea, and waders and wildfowl in estuaries and on the open coast. Response to salvage and pollution


Timely information on salvage and response options and plans, and their predicted outcome, from the SCU, MRC and / or SRC as appropriate is vital to enable the best possible advice to be provided to the response units by the Solent Environment Group / ELO’s. Prompt feedback on the efficacy and outcome of response actions taken is also vital. Although these data should be provided to the Solent Environment Group by the appropriate response unit, additional information on outcome of shoreline response from an environmental perspective should be collected by Solent Environment Group field workers. DATA ON THE EFFECTS OF POLLUTION INCIDENT Wildlife casualties After human health, the greatest public and political demand for information will be the immediate, acute, effects of the incident on wildlife, especially bird and mammal casualties. The same information will also be vital for impact assessment. Fish, shellfish and other human foodstuffs Data will be urgently required to ensure the safety any species used as human food which may be liable to contamination by the pollutant. In addition to the clearly obvious fish and shellfish, this may include species of seaweed or other intertidal plants, and agricultural livestock in the proximity of contaminated shorelines or downwind of and exposed to pollutant aerosols. Biological and habitat contamination and effects / impacts / mortalities Data on the contamination of subtidal, intertidal and terrestrial habitats and their associated animals and plants will be required to enable: ♦ pre-planned identification of environmental priorities for response or cleaning ♦ pre-planned identification of environmental features requiring safeguard from

inappropriate response and cleaning ♦ quantification and assessment of ecological impacts of incident, including

human and non-human food chain effects Although feedback from response units will provide a broad description of the contamination, it should be anticipated that, depending on local circumstances, specific data will also be required from an environmental perspective. The requirement for this data to inform impact assessment will almost certainly have a longer time scale than the response. Although the specific purpose of SCAT is to provide shoreline clean-up assessments to an SRC, the information they generate will also be required for impact assessment.


‘Secondary’ effects on wildlife and habitats arising from operational response Data on the effects of response and cleaning actions on subtidal, intertidal and terrestrial habitats and their associated animals and plants will be required to enable: ♦ reassessment and refinement of Solent Environment Group advice ♦ determination of when agreed end points for clean-up response have been

met ♦ quantification and assessment of human health and ecological impacts of the

response (including effects on human and non-human food chains) The requirement for these data to inform impact assessment will almost certainly have a longer time scale than the response Effects of pollutant and subsequent response on geology, geomorphology, archeology and cultural artifacts Data on the contamination, effects of contamination and the effects of response and cleaning actions will be required to enable: - identification of environmental priorities for response and advice on

appropriate response - identification of features requiring safeguard from inappropriate response and

cleaning; - quantification and assessment of impacts of an incident Specific data to support impact assessment Assessment of the impact of a pollution incident will depend on the comprehensiveness and quality of the data listed above. Assessment will also depend on medium to long term monitoring of: - pollutant contamination of water column, subtidal & intertidal sediment and

biota, including species in human and marine food chains - lethal and sublethal effects on species of ecological importance - specific data reflecting local circumstances may be necessary; as far as

possible, the scope of these data requirements should be identified in local EG contingency plans

MANAGEMENT OF DATA Operational Data Sources Operational data acquired by the Solent Environment Group will fall into three broad categories: - data supplied by the MCA and response units;


- data collected by the Solent Environment Group, either directly or indirectly through support organisations or contractors;

- unsolicited data and information from the general public. Management of Data Collection by the Solent Environment Group It is essential that the collection of data be carefully integrated within and between statutory agencies to minimise overlap, duplication of field effort and missing events and information. This integration is a vital part of contingency planning at both local and national scales.Data collection is likely to be managed both directly by the Solent Environment Group and indirectly by the individual EG members. Solent Environment Group staff dedicated to the management of field workers, the data collected and the data supplied by members of the Solent Environment Group and others will be essential. Specific tasks of the Solent Environment Group may include: - management of field workers, including briefing and debriefing, health and

safety - management of directly collected data may include quality control, data entry,

collation, interpretation and presentation; - integration, collation, interpretation and presentation of data collected from

sources external to the Solent Environment Group. Data Quality Control, Standardisation of Sampling and Analytical Protocols Accurate, reliable data are vital, both for operational and impact assessment purposes, as are the use of the most appropriate techniques for analysis of samples. Standardisation of survey, monitoring and analysis through nationally agreed protocols and quality control throughout an incident and subsequent impact assessment will be a crucial element in ensuring that the data collected are entirely credible. National agreements between the competent authorities / agencies should be reached on the following: - protocols on the sampling and analysis of water, sediment and biological

samples for the levels of contamination by pollutant. (Protocols should include sampling methodology and sample storage as well as analytical techniques);

- protocols on the collection, identification and recording of dead mammals, birds, invertebrates and other wildlife.



ANNEX 8

Impact Assessment Reference - Draft MCA Scientific, Technical and Operational Advice Note – STOp 1/2001 entitled Maritime Pollution Response in the UK The Environment Group. The description, quantification and evaluation of effects of maritime pollution incidents INTRODUCTION Any incident resulting in marine pollution may have a public health or an environmental impact. There will inevitably be both public and political expectations of those involved in the incident and its aftermath to be able to quantify and describe how public health and the environment were affected by it. Contingency planning is necessary to prepare for the assessment of the actual effects of significant pollution incidents, to enable assessment action to be taken proactively rather than reactively, and to match the scale of impact assessment action to scale of incident. Strategic planning at the time of an incident is also necessary to meet the assessment requirements of the specific incident. Assessment should be based upon objective, accurate information and data rather than assumption and perceived wisdom. There are clear differences between the objectives of impact assessment and providing operational advice to response units; there are also differences in outputs, timing, decision making, resourcing and political framework. There are both common and different data requirements. The geographical scope of impact assessment and operational response planning also differ. These differences necessitate clear demarcation between the planning and implementation of the two Solent Environment Group roles. In a significant pollution incident it will almost certainly be necessary for the impact assessment function to be the task of a separate sub-group. However, there must be close integration and liaison between the sub-group and the rest of the Solent Environment Group; not least to meet the common data requirements. An IA sub-group will reduce the need for government to form an official scientific committee, such as SEEEC or ESGOSS, to co-ordinate long term assessment work. However, in the event of a large scale incident where such a committee may be established, the early work carried out by the IA sub-group will be vital to an authoritative impact assessment and the sub-group should be prepared for an effective hand-over of responsibility and information if necessary.



ANNEX 9

CONTACT DIRECTORY Meeting Locations, Core Group and Associate Members Refer to Annex 9 kept separately.



ANNEX 10

Incident Form / Check List Incident

Date

On receipt of confirmed alert of incident requiring establishment of the Solent Environment Group (SEG):

ACTION Date / time completed

1 Establish & keep a log 2 Obtain comprehensive briefing from MCA

– see ESSENTIAL INFORMATION CHECKLIST

3 Determine scale of incident: does SEG need to be convened?

YES – go to A NO – go to B

A INCIDENT REQUIRES EG TO BE CONVENED

A1 Establish contact with core SEG members - brief / receive briefing - agree initial advice to MCA / response units - agree nominations for ELO’s - agree location of SEG - agree time to convene

A2 Alert, brief and mobilise ELO’s - SCU - MRC - SRC

A3 Provide initial advice to MCA / response units A4 Ensure alert of all relevant bodies and individuals is

initiated – see NOTIFICATION CHECKLIST

A5 Mobilise basic admin support A6 Relocate to SEG location at agreed time

A7 Obtain updated briefing from MCA or other key source of information

A8 Establish & maintain direct communications with ELO’s

A9 Convene meeting of core SEG – see GENERIC FIRST MEETING AGENDA

A10 Provide comprehensive briefing, via ELO’s, on health and environmental priorities and advice to response units.

A11 Ensure all other identified & agreed tasks are actioned.

A12 Ensure all essential SEG information requirements


are identified. A13 Ensure all essential information and data

acquisition to inform operational advice is actioned.

A14 Ensure an Impact Assessment process appropriate to the scale and potential effect of the incident is inititated.

A15 Ensure further alert and mobilisation of additional staff and resources continue as required.

A16 Ensure nominated and additional deputies / substitutes for SEG key & support roles are notified and alerted in good time.

A17 Ensure establishment and mobilisation of necessary health and scientific personnel

A18 Obtain regular briefings from MCA & ELO’s A19 Give regular briefings to SEG and room-briefs to

support staff

A20 Maintain close liaison with Impact Assessment Coordinator.

A21 Ensure Health & Safety procedures for fieldworkers are implemented and managed

B INCIDENT DOES NOT REQUIRE EG TO BE CONVENED

B1 Establish contact with core SEG members and other key organisations relevant to incident.

- brief / receive briefing use ESSENTIAL INFORMATION CHECKLIST - agree initial advice to MCA / response units - agree procedure in the event that incident

escalates.

B2 Provide initial advice to MCA / response units. B3 Ensure alert of all relevant bodies and individuals is

initiated – see NOTIFICATION CHECKLIST.

B4 Establish and maintain routine exchange of information with MCA or appropriate response unit(s).

B5 Consider transferring Chair to more relevant lead body if appropriate

B6 Establish and maintain routine exchange of information with key SEG members relevant to incident.

B7 Provide comprehensive briefing on health and environmental priorities and advice to response unit(s).

B8 Revise and update advice to MCA or appropriate response unit(s) as appropriate.

B9 Stand by to increase alert and mobilisation of key


personnel in the event that incident escalates.



ANNEX 11 REPORTING POLLUTION: FORMAT OF CG77 POLREP Part 1 Information, which should be provided, in an Initial Pollution Report A Classification of Report: (i) Doubtful (ii) Probable, or (iii) Confirmed B Date and time pollution was observed/reported. Plus the identify of the

observer/ reporter. C Position and extent of pollution. by latitude/longitude. Also if possible, state

range and bearing from some prominent landmark or Decca position and estimated quantity of oil, e.g. size of polluted area, number of tonnes of spilled or containers/drums etc lost.

D Tide and wind – speed and direction. E Weather conditions and sea state. F Characteristics of pollution, giving type, e.g. crude oil, packaged or bulk

chemicals, rubbish etc. For chemicals, the proper name should be given, plus the United Nations number if known. The appearance, e.g. liquid, floating solid, liquid oil, sludge, tarry lumps, weathered oil, discoloration of sea, visible vapour etc should also be noted.

G Source and cause of pollution e.g. is the discharge from a vessel, pipeline

etc. If from a vessel, is it as a result of a deliberate discharge or a casualty? Give a brief description, including the name, type, size, nationality and Port of Registry of the vessel. If proceeding on its way give course, speed and destination, if known.

H Details of all vessels in the area is to be given if the polluter cannot be

identified and the spill is considered to be of recent origin. J Details of photographs taken, plus any samples collected for analysis. K Remedial action taken, or intended, to deal with spillage. L Prediction of likely effects of pollution. e.g. estimated time of arrival on

beach. M Names of those informed. N Any other relevant information. e.g. names of other witnesses, references

to other instances of pollution pointing to a possible source.


Part 2 Supplementary Information to be provided later. NOTES 1. POLREPS should be used for oil, chemical or dangerous substance

spillage’s and for illegal discharges of garbage. 2. All messages should be pre-fixed by the code word POLREP followed by a

serial number issued by the operator. Subsequent updating or amplifying reports should repeat this information and add a SITREP number, e.g. “POLREP 21/SITREP 1” would be followed by “POLREP 21/SITREP 2”. The first report is assumed to be sitrep 1 with subsequent reports being numbered sequentially.

3. Grounding, collisions or breakdowns of oil tankers or other vessels

carrying potential pollutants, including bunkers, should be treated as serious incidents with a classification of “PROBABLE” until proved otherwise. The first report is assumed to be sitrep 1 with subsequent reports being numbered sequentially.

4. Local C/P alerting plans should establish the following responsibilities:

(a) Coastguard to inform the County Oil Pollution Officer (COPO) in England and Wales, the Local Oil Pollution Officer in Scotland, Department of Environment in Northern Ireland, or the appropriate authority in the Channel Islands or Isle of Man where there is an immediate or potential risk of oil coming ashore in their area.

(b) In England, Scotland and Wales, HM Coastguard to inform

COPOs/LOPOs in the counties immediately adjacent to risk.

5. Although Chief Surveyors of Marine Regions are not directly involved with C/P operations, it is necessary to include them as addressees to give them notice of possible involvement with salvage, surveying a casualty or possible prosecutions under current regulations.

6. Care should be taken to avoid undue escalation of UNCONFIRMED pollution incidents with consequent misleading publicity.



ANNEX 12 SOLENT ENVIRONMENT GROUP (SEG) GENERIC FIRST MEETING AGENDA FOR MARITIME POLLUTION INCIDENTS

1. Introductions

1.1. Personnel

1.2. SEG accommodation – fire precautions / H&S issues

2. Incident briefing – use ESSENTIAL INFORMATION CHECKLIST

3. Key roles

3.1. Allocation of key roles & confirmation of roleholders

3.2. Briefing to SEG on identities and locations of ELO’s

4. Identification & analysis of immediate risks and threats

4.1. Identification of public health risks

4.2. Identification of immediate environmental threats

4.3. Identification of immediate information requirements

• fate & behaviour of pollutant

• immediate operational advice requirements

• immediate impact assessment requirements

4.4. Identification of health and environmental priorities and initial advice to response units.

4.5. Identification of immediate tasks & allocation of tasks

4.6. Identification of further personnel and resources required

5. Establish timetable for Group briefings / meetings and standing agenda items

6. Establish communications protocol

7. Establish working procedure



ANNEX 13

SOLENT ENVIRONMENT GROUP CHECKLIST OF ESSENTIAL INFORMATION TO BE OBTAINED DURING INITIAL ALERT FOR MARITIME POLLUTION INCIDENTS

INCIDENT: DATE:

Questions to MCA or notifying organisation: What is the nature of the incident? What is the pollutant? • specific name • composition

What is the scale of pollution?

What is the exact location of the incident?

What time did the incident occur?

What is the current extent of the pollution? • aerial • at sea • on shore

Is there a known risk to human health?

What is the risk of further pollution?

What is the risk of the casualty / source of pollution moving elsewhere?

What response action has been taken?

What response action is planned? Who has been notified? - record on NOTIFICATION CHECKLIST

Request copies of chemical / hazard data sheets for pollutant and all other potential pollutants which may be released following incident.


ANNEX 14 – Media Holding Statement

Deleted May 2012

ANNEX 15 – Media Statement

Deleted May 2012


ANNEX 16 HEALTH AND SAFETY REGULATIONS WHICH ARE LIKELY TO APPLY TO MAJOR CLEAN-UP OPERATIONS The Health & Safety (First Aid) Regulations 1981 Noise at Work Regulations 1989 Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999 Manual Handling Operations Regulations 1992 Personal Protective Equipment at Work Regulations 1992 The Provision and Use of Work Equipment Regulations 1998 Personal Protective Equipment (Amendment) Regulations 1994 The Control of Substances Hazardous to Health Regulations 1999 Construction (Design and Management) Regulations 1994 Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations 1995 Construction (Health, Safety and Welfare) Regulations 1996 (NB Each set of Regulations listed has a companion Approved Code of Practice or Guidance on Regulations). SEG Mark2 - ANNEXES concentratedver3-dec03/incidents/dec03

Documents

MARINE POLLUTION CONTINGENCY PLAN · The definition of marine and coastal environment in the Solent Environment Group’s context includes public health, the natural environment,